Hannah Beachler, Centerville High School grad, among 2026 Oscar nominees for historic ‘Sinners’

Hannah Beachler is the first African American to win an Academy Award for best production design.   CONTRIBUTED

Hannah Beachler is the first African American to win an Academy Award for best production design. CONTRIBUTED

Centerville High School and Wright State University graduate Hannah Beachler, the first African American to win an Academy Award for best production design, received her second Academy Award nomination Thursday for best production design for “Sinners.”

Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, “Sinners” is a fascinatingly eerie dramatic horror comedy blending racism with the supernatural in 1930s Mississippi. The film received a historic 16 nominations including best picture, best director, best actor (Michael B. Jordan), best supporting actress (Wunmi Mosaku) and best original screenplay. Released last April, the film has grossed more than $368 million worldwide.

Speaking with Dayton Daily News last May, Beachler highlighted the importance of her research and bringing authenticity to various locales.

“First and foremost, it was about doing a lot of real research, understanding the time period and learning what the economy and the region was like in the Mississippi Delta, and really understanding the vernacular and intricate beauty of sawmills,” Beachler said. “We built the juke joint on location and on a stage as well and since all of the characters are in the juke joint, I wanted to be able to represent all of them in some way. And Ryan and I also talked about various needs in the blocking of the scenes, particularly what needed to be designed inside the juke joint.”

This image released by Warner Bros Pictures shows Michael B. Jordan, foreground from left, Michael B. Jordan and Omar Benson Miller in a scene from "Sinners." (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

Credit: AP

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Credit: AP

The New Orleans-based Beachler won the Oscar for 2018’s “Black Panther.” Her credits include “Fruitvale Station,” “Creed,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “Miles Ahead,” “Dark Waters,” “No Sudden Move,” and the 2016 Academy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning best picture “Moonlight.” She also received an Emmy nomination for Beyonce’s visual album “Lemonade.”

In addition she made her Broadway debut in 2024 designing an Afrofuturistic spin on Dayton native Schele Williams’ rousing revival of “The Wiz,” which was performed at the Schuster Center last November.

For her “Sinners” contributions, Beachler also won best production design from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

The NEON in downtown Dayton is particularly excited for Beachler’s nomination and will also offer a return engagement of “Sinners” next week.

“I am thrilled for Hannah getting a second nomination after having already won,” said Jonathan McNeal, manager of The NEON. “She is breaking that ceiling and I love it. We’ve been watching her work on our screens for years and we’re just really excited for her continued success.”

The 98th annual Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, will take place Sunday, March 15 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and streamed live on Hulu.

For a complete list of nominees, visit oscars.org.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 24: (EDITORS NOTE: Retransmission with alternate crop.) Hannah Beachler, winner of the Production Design award for 'Black Panther' attends the 91st Annual Academy Awards Governors Ball at Hollywood and Highland on February 24, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Credit: Kevork Djansezian

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Credit: Kevork Djansezian

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